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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29916243">the burden of immortality</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mohnblume/pseuds/Mohnblume'>Mohnblume</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supergirl (TV 2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Vampires</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:28:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,044</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29916243</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mohnblume/pseuds/Mohnblume</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kara's an indestructible Kryptonian who has already lost her whole world once. She can't let herself fall in love with a human, a guaranteed heartbreak sometime later. </p>
<p>She really didn't expect Lena Luthor to walk into her life and make her question all of her rules.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>313</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the burden of immortality</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay, so this kind of ignores the whole alternate Earth thing. The thing with Lex is just some sort of ambiguous showdown. Lena also did not shoot Lex, but he did spill Kara's secret before she could tell her. So it's definitely an AU, but everything else mostly stands.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoy this little fic!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Kara first meets Lena, she’s accompanied by her cousin, who moonlights as Superman. They’re both there to interview the youngest Luthor, and Kara’s immediately entranced by the brunette goddess. </p>
<p>The woman, who Kara had been prepared to label as the female Lex, is so different. She’s smart and business savvy, much like the rest of her family. She’s soft spoken, but lacks the oily demeanor that surrounded the others before her. </p>
<p>She’s genuine somehow, while retaining an air of mystery. Kara just wants to know everything about her. </p>
<p>That first interview leads to a few years of friendship. It’s simultaneously the best and hardest relationship she’s ever had. Lena is the most reluctant person she’s ever befriended, but something tells her that it’s worth it. </p>
<p>And it is. Eventually. After a few grueling months of being turned down for lunch and game nights, of Lena only responding to one out of every five texts, they finally reach a point in their relationship where Kara doesn’t fear being shut out at every turn. Lena starts to message her first, inviting her to the office for lunch. Each silly text of a cute dog or a silly internet joke gets at least a response, and oftentimes even an emoji. They even have the occasional movie night at Kara’s apartment. </p>
<p>Things are starting to look up. While Kara still can’t get Lena to hang out with the rest of her friends or her sister, and hasn’t quite convinced Lena to try any of the junk food she brings, they’re slowly moving into best friends territory. And yes, she might have to defend Lena’s honor at least once a week to the Super Friends, and yes, the city still hates the woman with fervor, but it’s good between the two of them. </p>
<p>Especially because Lena is just <em>good</em>. She wants to help, and she does. She’s a one woman wonder, with the brains and the funds to back her passion projects. For example, Kara mentions offhandedly that the local food bank that caters not only to humans, but also to struggling aliens hadn’t received enough donations that year. Two weeks later, she’s being assigned an article about the food bank’s record breaking donation. It’s an anonymous donation that has everyone in National City speculating, and while no one else guesses her, Kara just knows in her gut that the money came from one Lena Luthor.</p>
<p>So Lena is good, and by a year after their first meeting, she’s also Kara’s best friend. Kara’s never had a best friend before, and there’s a lot they don’t know about each other, but no one has ever known this much about her. Even if the brunette is still in the dark about her secret second job as Supergirl. Or that she’s even alien. Kara just doesn’t know how to bring that up to Lena, even if she wholeheartedly believes that she’s different from the rest of her family. </p>
<p>Until Lena ruins it. </p>
<p>It’s not her fault. It’s no one’s fault, really, but Kara had recently gotten an ugly reminder of her own immortality by a particularly nasty rogue alien. Her sister, who she loves more than anything, but who is painfully human had been on a mission with her and gotten injured. It wasn’t serious, but the reminder that she was impervious to almost all harm, hit her hard. As Kara sat next to her hospital bed in the DEO, waiting for her sister to wake up, she swore to herself she would never again let herself love another mortal. </p>
<p>And maybe it’s a bit dramatic. Kara feels a bit silly when Alex scolds her upon waking up, but that feeling of grief stays with her. She’s already lost her whole planet, with all the people on it, and she has no intention of feeling like that again. </p>
<p>So, when Lena asks her out on a date one day after they have lunch, Kara pushes aside the warmth she feels when she thinks of belonging to the brunette and says no. </p>
<p> But after watching Lena, who had been so nervous all lunch deflate, she wishes she had time traveling powers so she could go back in time and say yes instead. </p>
<p>She mutters something about them being too different and responsibilities, and flees. Not her best rejection, and her best friend definitely deserves better, but Kara’s too focused on getting herself out of there, she doesn’t stop to soften the blow.</p>
<p>That night, she reminds herself that it would only cause pain to fall in love with a human, only to watch her grow old without her. That Lena is in far more danger than the average human, and her life is constantly in danger. That Kara’s heart already half belongs to the brunette, and starting a relationship with her would only doom her to an eternity of misery. </p>
<p>Lena texts her at nearly 3 in the morning with an emotional plea not to leave her, not to let Lena’s feelings get in the way of their friendship. And Kara’s heart breaks at the vulnerability she sees in her friend. For someone who’s been betrayed and abandoned her whole life, Kara’s rejection must be devastating. She quickly sends reassurance to her best friend, wanting nothing more than to tell the truth. </p>
<p>Because the truth is that Kara is scared. She’s scared of having her heart broken, of being left, of losing. She nearly does, with half a message explaining her Kryptonian heritage open in her drafts, but the thought of losing Lena because of it is too much for her to bear. </p>
<p>And if she nearly flies over to Lena’s penthouse in the middle of the night to spill her huge Kryptonian secret that night, listening to Lena cry and cry and <em>cry,</em> well no one but her and her own tearstained pillow needs to know. </p>
<p>It’s the most heartbreaking thing she’s ever known. The days that pass don’t make the ache any easier, either. In the few times they manage to get together, Lena is quiet. She’s withdrawn, similar to the way she was when they first met, only now it seems melancholy. That’s when Kara gets to see her. Lena still responds to all of her texts, but mostly, she claims she has work to do, and no time to socialize. </p>
<p>Kara would be offended, but it really does seem like Lena is busy. And yes, Lena probably decided to pack her schedule, but the fact that she isn’t lying to her gives Kara some consolation. Although, seeing her friend run herself ragged isn’t very nice. She drops by at least once a day, and at all hours of the night, but Lena never seems to stop working.</p>
<p>Normally, Kara would intervene. She knows that Lena has a tendency to neglect herself. But she also knows that Lena has been working on a smoothie formula packed with nutrients to end world hunger, so surely Lena isn’t starving herself. And Alex, her best human reference, also stays up at all hours of the night, so maybe Lena’s behaviour is normal for some humans. Maybe Lena naps when Kara isn’t around. </p>
<p>Lena never seems to get bags under her eyes, the kind that Alex alway seems to get. So, she thinks that maybe Lena is just taking care of herself when Kara isn’t around to see it. She doesn’t know the makeup routine Lena goes through each day to hide the physical effects of exhaustion.</p>
<hr/>
<p>This goes on for a few months, a distant kind of peace between the two friends. Lena starts to respond more, and things go back to normal. Lena isn’t as warm as she used to be, but Kara doesn’t blame her. She’s just happy to have her best friend back. </p>
<p>She doesn’t notice the shimmer of foundation that covers Lena’s haggard face, or the winces when Kara hugs her. </p>
<p>They live in an illusion, Kara pretending that everything is fine, and Lena pretending she isn’t heartbroken that her best friend rejected her so coldly. </p>
<p>Then Kara ruins it. </p>
<p>It’s almost comical, really. The way Kara had so vehemently protected her heart, by keeping her heritage a secret, was the very thing that broke it. Because that’s what Kara is. Brokenhearted. </p>
<p>It wasn’t all Kara’s fault. Sometimes, when she lays in her bed at night, sleepless, she thinks that at least a little of the fault lies with Lex Luthor. As with all things in her life.</p>
<p>Lex is the one who truly gave the Luthor name its terrible shadow. Lex is the one who pushed dangerous weapon production, who has killed thousands, and who continues to be a threat. He is also the one who stole Kara’s chance at telling his little sister about Supergirl and explaining why she hadn’t before. </p>
<p>Sometimes, Kara curses Lex Luthor and all he’s done to hurt her family. She still considers Lena family, even after Lena leaves. </p>
<p>Which is another reason why Kara lays awake at night. She and Lena have saved the world again. Just like old times, they take on Lex together, make sure that he can never hurt anyone ever again. </p>
<p>They;re talking again. Lena makes Kara a new suit, she jokes with the DEO agents, and she isn’t drowning herself in work. She seems lighter somehow. </p>
<p>Kara’s glad. She is happy even, especially when Lena gives her a little smile or laughs at her jokes. </p>
<p>Then they’re saving the day. Things are so hectic leading up to them beating Lex once and for all. So crazy that Kara hadn’t really had time to talk to Lena. </p>
<p>When it’s all over, there is a party at the DEO. Everyone is relieved, having saved the world from one more villain, one who had been plaguing them for years. Kara’s caught up in the joyful mood, laughing and joking with the gang. It isn’t until the toasts, until one of the scientists raises a glass to Lena Luthor, the woman who is most of the reason for their success, that Kara realizes she’s missing. </p>
<p>At first, Kara chalks it up to the youngest Luthor’s need to isolate after emotional events. Or maybe the CEO just had paperwork she needs to catch up with. She has been neglecting her company for weeks on end, making time in her busy schedule for DEO meetings. Not to mention, Lena’s probably been spending more time in her lab developing new technology to help their operation run smoothly. </p>
<p>But still, saving the world wasn’t the type of occasion that Lena would usually disappear after. Kara excuses herself from the celebration, telling the others that she’d just snatch Lena away from whatever work the workaholic stole away to finish. They all share a good laugh, telling Kara to hurry back. </p>
<p>But when Kara flies to L-Corp, the lights are off in the top office. And when she flies past Lena’s penthouse, there is only one single light. In the kitchen. A room that Lena rarely occupied. </p>
<p>Concerned, Kara swoops onto the balcony, and is surprised to find that the terrace door is open. Pushing it open, she navigates her way to the light source, becoming confused and a little worried when the apartment seems to be empty. Listening with her super hearing, Kara notices that there is a distinct lack of any other noises.</p>
<p>She walks around, checking each room. It’s mostly unnecessary, as she would be able to hear Lena’s heartbeat if the woman was home. But Lena isn’t known to be anywhere else besides work or home. Or with Kara herself. Feeling her own heart begin to pound, she walks back to the kitchen, towards the light. </p>
<p>Sighing, Kara is about to leave when a flash of light catches her eye. She turns back around, looking back towards the light. </p>
<p>Underneath the LED bulb lies the watch she had gifted Lena, the one that would emit a frequency only a Super could hear. It’s something she had given Lena in case of emergencies, something to show the other woman that she would always be there. </p>
<p>Her heart drops. The message is clear. Lena isn’t around and she probably isn’t coming back either. Even during the time right after Kara had spilled her secret identity, Lena hadn’t taken the watch off. </p>
<p>Kara isn’t proud that her first reaction was anger. How <em>dare</em> Lena throw away her lifeline. Her life was so often at risk, and the watch had saved her more than once. Now she had nothing, and Kara didn’t even know where she was. </p>
<p>Then comes the guilt. This has to be because of their friendship, and she knows it. There’s no other explanation.</p>
<p>She does what she always does when there’s a crisis that she doesn’t know how to fix. She flies to Alex’s apartment, guiltily stealing her sister from her girlfriend.</p>
<p>Alex listens to her, hugs her, and distracts her with all the best movies. They have an impromptu sister night, and when Kara wakes up the next day, things don’t seem so desolate anymore. Of course, the announcement that Lena Luthor, L-Corp CEO has gone on a business trip and will return in a month’s time helps. She’s hurt that Lena didn’t tell her, but at least she knows that Lena isn’t gone for good. It’s something.</p>
<p>She can wait it out. It’s only one month, just 30 days until her best friend comes back. And she can give Lena some space. She’s always known that Lena often needs time to process things by herself before she can talk to others. It’s something that she had learned from her upbringing in the Luthor mansion, something she had learned from her childhood, when speaking without thinking it through was punished severely. </p>
<p>After the initial shock of losing her best friend, Kara finds that waiting for her to come back isn’t as bad as she thought. </p>
<p>Kara develops a routine. Go to work, work, go home, meet friends. She has weekly game nights and sister nights still, and that helps pass the time. It helps distract her from the aching loneliness that Lena’s absence brings. It isn’t so bad, but only because of the impermanence of it all. Knowing that Lena would come back in a month is her light at the end of the tunnel.</p>
<p>It isn’t so bad. Alex spends more time with her, and all of the superfriends make more time with her. It’s sweet, and comforting to know that even if her best friend is gone, she still has the support of her friends. On good days, she’s endlessly thankful. On bad days, she worries that Lena doesn’t have the same support.</p>
<p>Something about having friends she can count on, who know her so intimately that they just know when to be available when she has a bad day makes her question why she’d ever had her ‘no love with human’ rule in the first place. She wonders why she had ever turned down Lena when she had the chance. She’s learning that life is too short to waste time worrying about what might happen years in the future. If she had accepted Lena’s advances, she could have had months, or even years with her. </p>
<p>All she has now was a lot of unrequited feelings and longing for someone who isn’t there. Her fears feel so foolish now that Lena is actually gone. Although she doesn’t know exactly why Lena has left, Kara can’t help but feel that it’s her fault, and if she had been honest with her best friend from the start, maybe she wouldn’t have needed this space. If she had opened up more, Lena wouldn’t be gone.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Still, the month passes faster than she would have thought. Lena is coming back. And she knows it, because Lena has scheduled a press conference to announce a new piece of tech that she has developed in her absence. </p>
<p>She doesn’t address her lengthy absence, but Kara isn’t expecting to get answers from the press conference. She’s really only there to make sure there isn’t an attempt on the youngest Luthor’s life. </p>
<p>There isn’t, to her relief. But seeing her again brings back all of the feelings she’d tried not to have. If there was even a chance that Lena would want her now, Kara was determined to try. She wants Lena to know how much she cared, and how sorry she is about everything.</p>
<p>It’s hard to wait, but she knows that Lena might need a few days. The woman has just arrived back at the city, she probably needs a few days back into her routine. </p>
<p>Kara gives her exactly four hours after her press conference before she couldn’t keep herself from her best friend anymore. She needs to hear the soothing sound of her heartbeat and see her beautiful face. </p>
<p>Forcing herself to walk to Lena’s apartment is torture, but necessary to gather her thoughts. There is a plan: see if Lena is okay, and if everything is alright, ask her on a date. It’s simple, even if it means Kara shedding years worth of fears regarding her love life. </p>
<p>As she’s walking, Kara uses her super hearing, hoping to catch that familiar heartbeat. She frowns. There’s nothing. Not even if she pinpoints Lena’s building or L-Corp. But she does hear shuffling coming from Lena’s apartment, telling her that someone is home. </p>
<p>She shakes her head. It’s more important that she get there, see Lena, than just hear her heartbeat from a distance. Using a bit of super speed, Kara zips to Lena’s apartment building, grinning widely at the doorman who knows her by name. </p>
<p>Kara pauses. She cocks her head, listening for Lena’s heartbeat, but she still can’t seem to hear it. Which is strange, because it had been the one single, steady sound that has grounded her for so long now. It’s just gone. </p>
<p>Pausing before Lena’s wooden door, she uses a bit of her x-ray vision to see inside. Maybe Lena isn’t home after all. But no, there she is. Her best friend is sitting at the island in her kitchen clutching a steel cup in her hands. </p>
<p>Kara sighs, preparing the speech she’d rehearsed before coming. The noise seems to jolt Lena out of the trance she’d been in, her head shooting towards her door. Kara jumps, before shaking her head at herself. There’s no way Lena would have been able to hear her from where she was. </p>
<p>Just as she’s reaching to knock on Lena’s door, something strange happens. The sound of a heartbeat comes rushing to her ears. It’s not Lena’s heartbeat, but when she hones her hearing, she finds that it’s coming from Lena’s chest. </p>
<p>A sense of foreboding creeps over Kara. She makes herself knock on the door, more to find out what’s happening than anything. Lena’s weird heartbeat still pounding in her ears; she uses her x-ray vision to watch Lena walk hesitantly to the door. </p>
<p>“Kara,” she greets shyly. For a moment, her soft voice makes Kara forget everything she had come there to do. She has missed her best friend in the past month. In the past months, really, since they hadn’t been talking much in the time leading up to Lena’s departure. Not like before. </p>
<p>“Lena,” she responds, equally subdued. Unsure how to proceed, she shifts her weight nervously. </p>
<p>The movement seems to waken the ever present politeness in the brunette, and she ushers Kara in, asking if she’d like a drink or a snack. </p>
<p>After declining, Kara scans her friend. It’s something she’s grown used to doing with Alex and the rest of the Super Friends. Frowning, Kara narrows her eyes, causing Lena to fidget uncomfortably. </p>
<p>It takes her a few seconds, but a small gasp comes out of her mouth when she realises that Lena is wearing a bodysuit of lead. A material that can be used to inhibit the powers of a Kryptonian.</p>
<p>“Lena?” she repeats, confused and hurt as to why her best friend would be hiding herself from Kara. </p>
<p>Lena looks down, sighing. “I’m a monster now,” she whispers, so quiet that a normal human wouldn’t be able to pick it up.</p>
<p>Kara instinctively steps back, feeling blindsided. It feels like the betrayal all those months ago, when Lena used Kryptonite against her. </p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Her voice comes out louder than she anticipated, and Lena winces at the harsh tone. </p>
<p>“I…” Lena starts. She shakes her head, clearly warring with herself on something. “I’m a monster,” she repeats after a few seconds. </p>
<p>The anguish in her tone, in her eyes is what calms Kara down. She should be afraid after hearing Lena’s ominous words, but it’s clear to her that Lena’s worst enemy right now is herself. It’s something she’s always been good at, self deprecating.</p>
<p>“Lena, talk to me,” she pleads, begging the other woman to open up. She knows how hard it is for her to trust, but she hopes the sincerity in her voice carries. </p>
<p>It must, because after a few more minutes of internal deliberation, Lena slumps down in resignation. She beckons Kara into the kitchen, moving back to the kitchen island and her steel cup. Which Kara now realises is actually not steel at all, but also lead. </p>
<p>She opens her mouth to comment on this new revelation, but Lena shakes her head. She’s clearly asking for a bit of time. Kara can give her that. She can wait.</p>
<p>She doesn’t have to wait long. Lena takes a few moments to steady herself, the space between them comforting her. Then she slowly unzips her lead suit with shaky hands. She’s wearing a simple shirt and yoga pants underneath, but Kara can’t even admire Lena’s stunning figure. </p>
<p>Because the moment the lead is gone, Kara realises that the heartbeat she had been hearing, the one that sounded so wrong to her ears, is actually coming from the suit. She strains her ears, trying to pick up anything, but there’s nothing. </p>
<p>“Where’s your heartbeat?” she asks, her voice shaky. </p>
<p>Lena sucks in a breath. She’s conflicted again, Kara knows her well enough to know this. Her eyes dart around the room, flicking to the window and the door before settling back on Kara. </p>
<p>“Gone,” she says simply. Her hands shake more, clutching the lead cup to her body. She takes a breath to steady herself, and Kara stares at her, confused.</p>
<p>“Talk to me,” she repeats. The conversation is starting to feel tedious, like pulling teeth. Normally, Kara would accept that Lena needs time to tell her things, time to open up. But this is different. She hasn’t seen her in a whole month, and she needs answers as to why her best friend is currently standing in front of her with no heartbeat.</p>
<p>In halting sentences, Lena does. The story is haunting enough that Kara nearly wishes she had never asked. Lena tells her how Lex’s final act of terrorism was to lure her into a trap with a bloodsucking alien, something he had found could turn a human into a real life vampire. She explains that once she woke up, she was thirsty like she’d never felt before. That water or juice wouldn’t quench the ache in her throat. </p>
<p>Lena had quickly figured out the only substance that could ease her thirst, the only thing that could provide her sustenance now. She had smelled the blood rushing through her faithful assistant, and nearly lunged at her neck. That’s how she knew she needed to leave. She couldn’t risk hurting anyone. </p>
<p>The month that she was gone was dedicated mostly to learning how to control herself, and developing synthetic blood. Once done, she had moved onto learning about the changes in her body. She had learned that all of her senses were heightened, and that while she could technically still do it, she didn’t need to breathe or eat human food. She was impervious to knives and bullet wounds did very little damage that healed within minutes. </p>
<p>Kara winces, thinking about how Lena had discovered this in particular. </p>
<p>Lastly, in the days leading up to her return, Lena had developed the lead suit, hoping to hide her condition from those who could hear the physiological changes in her body.</p>
<p>“I’m a monster,” Lena concludes her tale, eyes looking anywhere but Kara, “and that’s exactly what Lex wanted. I’m his weapon now.”</p>
<p>Her voice and demeanor is so defeated, that Kara can’t help but rush to her, pulling her into a hug. She hasn’t processed any of this yet, but Lena has been alone long enough. She’s had to deal with this all by herself, and Kara is determined to help her through this now.</p>
<p>“You’re not a monster,” Kara whispers in Lena’s ear. It makes her shiver, but she shakes her head in defiance. </p>
<p>Kara cuts her off before she can voice her protests. “You’re not. He underestimated you. You’re not a weapon, and you’re not going to hurt anyone. You’re better than him. Look at what you’ve done! You made yourself synthetic blood, just so you didn’t have to take it from anywhere else. How can you be anything but good, Lena?”</p>
<p>Tears start to fill Lena’s eyes. She closes them, causing them to spill out. Kara holds her closer and shushes her. Lena starts to tremble in her arms, so Kara starts to tell her about her first days on Earth. She hopes it eases Lena’s worries to know that she isn’t alone, at least to the overwhelming noise and activity on Earth. </p>
<p>Kara’s story, or simply hearing her voice calms Lena down. She starts to squirm, and Kara releases her so that she can grab her lead cup of synthetic blood. </p>
<p>They sit in silence for a few minutes, while Lena drinks. When Lena shoots her a small smile, Kara remembers why she came over in the first place. </p>
<p>“Lena?” she asks shyly.</p>
<p>Lena looks at her questioningly. She also tilts her head to the side, which looks so adorable, Kara blushes.</p>
<p>She takes a deep breath. “This is long overdue. Really overdue, even more than my Super Secret maybe. I just didn’t know how to tell you. And then you found out I was Supergirl and you were so <em>mad</em>--”</p>
<p>“Kara,” Lena gently cuts off her rambling.</p>
<p>Kara blushes again. “Right. Point is, you asked me out a long time ago, before everything. And I know you were crushed when I rejected you, but I never really told you why.”</p>
<p>“You don’t owe me an explanation. You’re not obligated to return my feelings just because you’re my best friend. That’s going too far, even for you,” Lena says, looking down at her empty cup.</p>
<p>“But I did return your feelings,” Kara says, causing Lena’s head to snap up. “I just didn’t think it would work out. I’m Kryptonian, basically indestructible on this planet. I may not be entirely immortal, but I’ll live thousands of years longer than a human. I didn’t want to lose you. I already lost my home once, and I thought if I didn’t let you close enough, it wouldn’t hurt as much when you left me too. I know now that that’s not true. It hurt <em>so</em> much when I thought I had lost you.”</p>
<p>“You didn’t lose me,” Lena murmurs. She touches Kara’s hand lightly, a wordless reassurance that she’s here, and not going anywhere.</p>
<p>“I didn’t,” Kara agrees, “but I almost did. And then all that with Lex happened and then you were gone again. I came over here to tell you that I don’t care about the risks. I don’t care if you’ll leave me one day, because I just want to cherish the time we do have. I don’t want to live my life with regrets. What I’m saying is I want you. I want to take you on a date and woo you, Lena.”</p>
<p>The smile that lights up Lena’s face is bright enough to power every cell in her body. </p>
<p>“Kara,” Lena says, her voice full of awe. Then she’s in Kara’s arms, faster than Kara can blink. And she’s kissing her, giving her the sweetest kisses she’s ever experienced. </p>
<p>“I’m going to have to get used to not being the only super one around here,” Kara chuckles.</p>
<p>Lena pouts. “I’m not super. Just above average.”</p>
<p>“You’ve always been super to me.” Kara grins, capturing her lips once more. </p>
<p>Lena indulges her for a few kisses more, before pulling away. Her face is serious, and Kara straightens up instinctively.</p>
<p>“I’m different now, Kara. I did some preliminary tests, but I don’t know the full extent of my powers yet. I’m--I’m already dead, I think, and well, I’ll more than outlive the average human lifespan--”</p>
<p>“I don’t care,” Kara cuts her off, trying to kiss her once more.</p>
<p>The brunette pushes her away, her strength surprising. “But I do. What I’m trying to say is, I’m here for a while too. I won’t leave you.”</p>
<p>“Lena,” Kara breathes, her eyes watering. Suddenly, Lena’s condition seems like the answers to all of her prayers. </p>
<p>“I’m pretty hard to kill now. I bet it’ll take my regular assassins by surprise,” Lena says with a cheeky grin. </p>
<p>Before she even finishes her sentence, Kara’s hugging her tightly again. She’s even using her full strength, something she rarely gets to do in such a nonviolent way. Lena takes it in stride, and returns it. It feels like coming home. It’s even better than anything she’s experienced before, because now there are no secrets separating them. Just Kara and Lena.</p>
<p>“You’re amazing,” Kara says, happy tears escaping from her eyes. </p>
<p>Lena just hums happily. </p>
<p>Later, they’ll have to figure everything out. Lena will probably have to go to the DEO to get a checkup, and they need to find out exactly what her powers are. She’ll need to form a plan for keeping her new form a secret, and learn how to blend in with the non powered world. They’ll have to find out a way to tell all of their friends. </p>
<p>But for now, they can simply be entwined in each other, in a bubble of their own joy.</p>
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